Because I Love Her
by theoriginalcheeesecake
Summary: Caroline saw someone who could comfort her, Klaus saw someone to finally fill that hole. But their parents only saw an opportunity.
1. Present Day: Marriage is an Institution

_Present_

"I really think marriage, as it stands today, should be a choice made by two people who are in love. A woman and a man, a woman and a woman, a man and a man, a trans woman and a cis man. Whatever."

Week one of her third year women's studies class and Caroline felt a twinge of pride at expressing her opinion. It was something she felt strongly about, and was excited when her tutor had asked their opinions on marriage as a warm-up question.

"While, historically, it was an institution, I think that feminism has developed to the point where it can be something women can enter into willingly, rather than something forced upon them."

Then a voice spoke up.

"Oh, come now, love. Marriage _is_ an institution, it's been used since the dawn of time to strengthen political ties, ensure a family's financial stability and to increase one's clout. Romance was rarely a factor."

And Caroline froze, she whipped her head around to the top of the lecture theatre, where her eyes locked with his. A tirade of conflicting emotions washed over her, and it took all her willpower not to jump up and flee the theatre. Hell, it took all she had not to flee the damn country.

" _Seriously_! I can't believe you!"

They had started out friends.

" _You_ can't believe _me_? I thought given your own marital situation, you would agree with my point, as cynical as it is."

Admittedly that had been a long time ago, but they _had_ been friends. Best friends, in fact.

"And what about art? Music? Poetry? Literature? All these things have been portraying love and romance within relationships long before Hallmark was a thing, _Niklaus_."

The class around them watched in awe and trepidation as Caroline and the newcomer tossed their arguments at each other as easily as if they were an old married couple.

"Perhaps, but the majority of those texts were about the forbidden or unrequited nature of love. Never in terms of marriage."

Caroline felt tears burn behind her eyes, but she jumped to her feet.

"Maybe you're right, but marrying for love came from somewhere. Hallmark didn't just decide it was a like 85 years ago. It came from unifying two people who want to be together. If you're going to be tethered to someone for the rest of your life, you may as well want to be with them. And that's what I believe, whether you're too jaded and cynical to believe it or not."

Klaus opened his mouth to offer his rebuttal when the lecturer spoke up.

"Perhaps, Ms Mikaelson, you and the newcomer, should take this argument elsewhere. Your points are valid, but you are now disrupting my class."

She didn't say it rudely, or with a hint of irritation, but she did say it with a finality that Caroline couldn't ignore, so she scooped up her things, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for being disruptive," she said. "But please. It's Caroline. Please don't ever call me _Ms Mikaelson_ again."

And with that, Caroline stalked out of the class, her fiery, determined eyes on Klaus as she went. He looked almost smug at getting her kicked out of class. The two of them walked in extremely tense silence for a few minutes, until they had cleared the building and were out of earshot of anyone still in class.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" she roared.

She was upset. Almost more upset than she had been in early November, almost three years previous. She let the tears fall from her eyes, as the emotions that always raged through her when he was around took hold of her body.

"Exchange," he shrugged. "Oxford was boring, so I'm my final year here instead."

Caroline's mouth fell open, as she saw all of her beautiful carefree plans fall away.

"Please tell me there's more to it than that, Klaus. Please tell me there was a parent involved, or something. Please tell me you didn't take away my last shred of freedom because you were 'bored'."

"Caroline, sweetheart," he said, softly, brushing a strand of her hair from her face. "I can't tell you that."

Klaus did have a tender side. She knew that. She'd always known that. She'd known it since she met him.

"Why do you have to do this to me?" she asked, thickly.

Caroline honestly thought she'd have two more years of freedom. Two years to be normal. Two years of being her own person, before family obligation took hold.

"What do you expect from me?"

She didn't know. Once upon a time she would have expected him to always be on her team. To always have her back. But these days…

"More. _Something_! I don't know!"

As she looked into his eyes, for the first time in years, Caroline saw her everything she felt for him and about _them_ , reflected in his eyes. It only served to confuse her more.

"Well, you shouldn't have."

Caroline's face contorted in disgust, and she spat the only poison that ever seemed to work on him.

"I don't know why I expected you to be less despicable than _your parents_."

Klaus flinched, infinitesimally, but covered it by adopting a smug, detached look. No one who didn't know every facet of Klaus would have caught the change. But Caroline did, and she was sickened with herself for saying it. Then she was sickened with herself for feeling sickened.

"Whatever you need, love, to get that beauty sleep of yours, love."

Caroline shook her head, and turned on her heel, and stalked away from him, unable to speak to him anymore, but unable to think about anything else.

Klaus watched her go, the defiant, self-satisfied look fleeing his face, he hated what happened between them, and he wished, more than anything, that he could tell her the real reason he was back.

But he couldn't do that to her.

xxx

Caroline barged through her apartment door, the tears that had dried up as she spoke to Klaus springing back into her eyes. She tried not to sob with reckless abandon, but didn't quite manage it.

It hurt.

Seeing him again.

It hurt, knowing everything they had, and everything that was snatched away from them. She hated knowing that she had just as much part in tearing up her relationship with Klaus as he and their parents.

"Whoa, Care, are you okay?"

Caroline's roommate, Katherine, was sitting on the couch in the lounge room, an uncharacteristically concerned expression on her face as Caroline cried.

"Kitty-kat," Caroline gasped, through her tears. "He's back."

"Who's back?"

"Him! I was supposed to have two years until I had to actually be near him again! And now he's here."

"Slow down, Care. Who is 'he'."

"Niklaus Mikaelson," Caroline screeched, hysterically.

"Your brother?"

Caroline laughed derisively, until the manic look was replaced by a look of helplessness, as she flopped herself on the couch on top of Katherine and burying her face into the cushions.

It was a position Katherine had seen more times that she could count, every time when the blonde was having boy trouble. But never had Katherine seen her so upset over someone.

"He's not my brother, Kat," Caroline said, dejectedly, the tears slowing, and a strange sense of calm falling around her, as she prepared herself to finally be honest with someone. "I've lied to you. To everyone, about my family, my childhood, my life, my _everything_."

Kat looked anxiously over at her friend, not quite sure what was forthcoming.

"My brothers and sisters you met. Stefan and Damon are my step-siblings… But, Rebekah, Kol, Elijah, they're not my _real_ siblings."

"Okay…" Kat said, slowly, thinking about how she _could_ have nailed that oldest one, had she known this sooner.

"Forbes is my… maiden name. Niklaus Mikaelson is my… husband."

Katherine's eyes went the size of actual dinner plates.

"Your what?!"

"Husband, Kat, husband."

Katherine gaped at Caroline for a moment, before the brunette wordlessly jumped to her feet. Caroline sat up, a little confused, as Katherine ran around the house frantically. When next she appeared, she was dressed enough to run some errands, and she threw a pair of Caroline's pyjamas at her face.

"Okay, I'm going to go buy a ton of take-out, and some _really_ good tequila. You're going to take a shower, put your pjs on, and when I get back, you better be ready to tell me _everything_."

* * *

 **HELLO! Whoops, another new story... twice in a week... AnYWAy, let me know if you're captured by this idea. The prompt was KC+Arranged Marriage, and this is what it became. If you like, tell me that, if you think I should stop be like 'dood, tf r u doin' or something similar. :) HAPPY AU WEEK MY PRETTIES! I am sad it's over!**


	2. 13 Years Ago: The Suitcase

**_13 Years Ago_**

Perched on the foot of the unfamiliar bed, Caroline stared, unblinkingly, at the suitcase neatly standing by door. The itchy, glittery silver dress her mother had forced her into scratched her sensitive skin while she waited quietly.

Before a year ago, the bright pink suitcase had been cause for excitement. It hailed time with just her parents, where she would feel like the luckiest, most cherished little girl in the world. No business, no meetings, no being left with the nannies, just uninterrupted mommy-daddy-Caroline time. They had been to Spain, Thailand, Martha's Vineyard, China, Switzerland, even _Disney Land_!

But that had all changed now. It wasn't just her and her parents anymore. It was her, her parents, her mom's new husband, her two step brothers, and her dad's new partner.

Staring at the suitcase that cold winter's night, she didn't feel like the luckiest girl in the world anymore, she just felt like a burden.

A mistake.

xxx

 _ **One Year Previous**_

 _Caroline leapt excitedly from her car, her hand clamped firmly around Mr Rabbit's ankle._

 _The town around her twinkled under the moon, snow shimmering on the ground, the warm glow of a bonfire washing the town square. Excitement was quaking through every bit of her body as she looked at the picturesque scene._

" _Caroline, sweetie," she heard her mother call. "Take your suitcase inside, then we'll get going to the festival."_

 _Eight-year-old Caroline tore her eyes away from the beautiful spectacle that was the town square, and hurried to drag her suitcase inside._

" _Did you_ really _live here when you were little, dad?" Caroline asked, excitedly, unable to reconcile the picture of her parents living in such modest surroundings._

" _We did," Bill nodded. "Grandma and Grandpa Forbes and Nan and Pop Singer ran their sections of the business from here, so your mother and I could have a good, southern upbringing."_

" _So you've known mommy since forever!" Caroline squealed, unable to believe ever knowing anyone for as long as she was alive._

" _I have."_

 _Caroline sighed happily, before racing to stash her suitcase in her room, bursting with excitement about finally getting to experience the Winter Wonderland Carnival her parents had always told her stories about._

 _It was everything she dreamed of and more. There was snow lightly falling, ice skating, Father Christmas, curly fries and donuts for dinner, even real life horses. Though Caroline's preoccupation with the horses distracted her so much that she didn't see the boy barrelling toward her until it was too late, and her scorching hot cocoa was burning_

" _Caroline, sweetie, calm down," Liz kept repeating, as Caroline cried. "It's going to be okay."_

 _As the little blonde began to calm down, she got her first look at the boy who knocked her over. She threw him the most reproachful glare her young features could muster, before nuzzling into her mother's arms._

" _Stefan Salvatore," a booming voice roared. "What have you done?"_

 _The boy cowered under the ferocity of the man's voice, and began babbling about how it was an accident, he didn't mean to hurt anyone, he was just looking at the horses and –_

" _Giuseppe?"_

 _Caroline's head shot up as she heard her mother's voice, and the boy closed his mouth quickly, hoping for a reprieve._

" _Giuseppe Salvatore, is that you?"_

 _The angry air surrounding the man seemed to evaporate as he peered at Liz's face, his confusion making way for something Caroline couldn't really understand._

" _Well, I'll be," the man said, a bit of fondness slipping into his voice. "Elizabeth Forbes."_

 _Liz, who was still crouching with Caroline in her arms, placed her daughter on the ground and stood up, all her attention diverting to the man in front of her._

" _I didn't know you were back living here?" Liz said, a little breathlessly, though there was a note of accusation in her voice as well. Caroline glared angrily at her mother. Her legs still burned, and she was drenched from head to toe in snow from the fall, and yet her mother wasn't paying_ her _the attention._

" _I moved back here a short while after Stefan was born," the man said, gesturing to the brunette boy, who had knocked Caroline over. "We were just about to–"_

" _Mom," Caroline interrupted, frowning deeply. "I want to go home. My leg hurts and I'm cold."_

" _Right, of course," Liz said, as she looked down at her daughter, shaking herself from her reverie. "I guess I'll see you around?" she directed back at the man. "We're in town until school goes back."_

" _We should have lunch," he smiled, softly. "We have a lot to catch up on."_

 _Liz returned his soft smile, before finally tearing her eyes away from him, to fix on her daughter._

 _Caroline took her mother's hand, somewhat miffed. "Who was that?"_

" _Oh, no one," Liz said, dreamily. "Just an old friend."_

 _xxx_

 _Liz walked into the Grill, uncharacteristically nervous. Her palms were sweaty and her cheeks a little more flushed than usual. She couldn't remember being this anxious for anything._

" _Liz!"_

 _She turned in the direction of the voice, her heart racing and calming all at once as her eyes fell on him. It was a strange feeling, one she almost forgot that she could experience._

" _How are you, Joe?" she asked, warmly._

 _The man just smiled, and gestured to the seat opposite to where he was seated._

" _You look beautiful," he said. "Nothing new there, then."_

 _It was Liz's turn to just smile, and she look the offered drink and began to peruse the menu, glad for the distraction._

 _A thick, heavy silence fell over the two old friends. There were so many unsaid things between them, things that neither of them really knew how to address, or even whether they wanted to address them._

 _Liz opened her mouth, steeling herself to say something when –_

" _Welcome to the Mystic Grill! May I take your order?"_

 _Liz closed her mouth, and smiled a little bitterly. Something always interrupted them._

 _The two ordered awkwardly, tittering like children when they realised that they still ordered the same things they did in high school. Once the orders were placed, a silence settled over them once more._

 _Though this time it seemed just a shade lighter than before._

" _So," he murmured. "Where are Bill and Caroline this evening?"_

" _Daddy-daughter picnic and star gazing at the falls," Liz replied. "What about your boys?"_

" _With some friends."_

" _Right," Liz said quietly._

 _Silence fell between them again, and it was only broken again when their food came._

" _What happened to Lily?" she asked, trying to find the ease of conversation they had back when they were teenagers._

 _Joe shrugged. "One day she was tucking the boys in because they were sick. The next, she and all her things, were gone."_

" _I'm so sorry."_

 _Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed his hand, just as she may have done in another life. But it was comfortable, and as his fingers curled around hers, she couldn't bring herself to pull away._

 _From then on their conversation flowed easily, as though their comfort in each other was linked with their linked hands. They laughed and reminisced, they caught each other up on what had happened to each other them over the past 15 years._

 _It was how Liz had always dreamed it would go._

 _It was nearing 8pm when they rose from the table and made their way from the restaurant. She could hardly believe that she was one of the richest woman in the country, and she had been reacquainted with her childhood sweetheart in something as low class as the Grill. But she also found it kind of poetic. It was the place they'd had their first real date._

 _Giuseppe pulled her into his side as the cold night air bit their faces, and once again Liz didn't have the heart to pull away. Just this once she'd let her feelings lead the way._

 _The walk back to the house was laden with a heavy silence, though their hands still intertwined. Once they reached the doorstep, they both knew their time had come._

" _Well, thank you for a lovely evening, Liz," he said._

 _He leant into brush his lips along her cheek. But, as he pulled away, Liz grabbed his lapels and held him there. She felt as though she was drowning, suffocating through the thickness of her throat. All the words she'd wanted to say, the words she'd rehearsed for years and years, stuck._

 _And before she knew it, his lips found hers, and all her misgivings melted away. She forgot about her husband, her daughter, and her familial obligation. She forgot about who she had become, and everything she'd achieved. And, when his hand slid under her shirt, she didn't care anymore._

 _She just wanted him._

 _xxx_

" _But I never knew so many stars existed!" Caroline exclaimed, for the umpteenth time since they'd left the falls. "There were just so many!"_

" _There were," Bill smiled, as the daddy-daughter-duo walked back through the front door of his childhood home. "Did you have a nice time?"_

" _I had the best time! I can't wait to tell mommy!"_

" _First, get into your pyjamas, sweetie," her father said. "You can tell her when you're ready for bed."_

 _Caroline scampered, happily away, and Bill smiled as he walked into the kitchen._

 _But the sight he was met with was completely at odds with what he was expecting._

" _What the hell is this?" he growled, but he was under no illusions at what he was walking in on, as Giuseppe and Liz stood guiltily from the couch, their hair ruffled, both rapped in only a rug._

" _Bill, I can…"_

" _Mommy!"_

 _Bill menacingly looked at the couple across from him, before saying. "You, –" he jabbed his thumb at Giuseppe, "get out. You get decent. I'll distract Caroline. She shouldn't have to see this."_

 _xxx_

" _You fucked another man, Liz! How could you?" Bill tried to keep his voice down, for the sake of the sleeping Caroline, but he couldn't quite manage it. He was so angry, hurt._

" _How could I? How could I! Bill you haven't so much as touched me for years. The last time we slept together was the night Caroline was conceived. I know we never got married because we romantically loved each other. But I'm still a woman, Bill! I'm still a human. Being back around Joe again reminded me what it felt like to feel loved. To feel beautiful. So sure me for wanting to feel those things."_

" _Don't give me that, Liz, it's not like you make me feel special. How do you think I felt seeing you betray me like that, hmm?"_

" _Oh yeah? Do tell me about about your relationship with Stephen from HR? I have had to watch you fawn after him for the last seven years!"_

" _That's not fair. Stephen and I are just –"_

" _Do not say 'just friends' William Forbes. Do not insult me with that lie. I know you, better than anyone. I may have slept with Joe, but I didn't emotionally cheat on you with him for seven years!"_

 _All the poison in Bill's face evaporated, and his shoulders slumped. He let his knees give way, falling back onto the couch behind him, and action which Liz mimicked shortly afterward._

" _What have we done?" Bill sighed._

" _Did what our parents wanted for us," she replied, almost disgusted with herself._

 _Bill leaned over to grab a bottle of expensive whisky, and took a long swig, before passing it to his wife._

" _Do you love him?" Liz asked._

" _Yes. Do you love him?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Did you ever stop?"_

" _I don't think so."_

 _The two laughed bitterly, thinking about how they managed to mess everything up so royally._

" _Let's get divorced."_

" _What?"_

" _We were only married so our parents could get what they wanted. And they're all dead now. We married their two companies together, like they wanted, and now it's one of the biggest corporations in the country. Thanks to us, our sacrifice, and then our leadership."_

" _Yes, but what has divorce got to–"_

" _We sacrificed everything for our parents' business goal. But it doesn't matter now. We can get divorced, I can be with Giuseppe, you can be with Stephen, and we can all live, under the one roof. One big, strange, but happy family."_

" _Liz…"_

" _No, seriously, think about it. Our place is huge, and we always said it was too big for just three of us. I still love you, Bill, no matter what. And there's no way I could live without you, but I don't love you like that. I never have. And I know that's how you feel about me. We could be happy, and still be together. Everybody wins."_

" _What about Caroline? How would it affect her?" Bill said quietly, hoping against hope Liz would have an answer._

 _She sighed, and took another long swig of the alcohol._

" _I don't know," she replied, honestly. "We really fucked up when we decided to have a kid, didn't we?"_

" _You can say that again."_

" _Biggest mistake of our lives."_

 _Neither parent was focussed enough hear the tiny pattering of feet quickly darting back upstairs as they said it. Neither heard the soft closing of the door. Or the quiet sobs wracking through their daughter, as she felt, for the first time, that maybe her parents didn't love her as much as she loved them._

xxx

As Caroline reflected on the trip that changed everything, she tried to block out the sounds of her mother, father, step-fathers, and step-brothers all moving about the house.

"Caroline," she heard her mother call. "It's time to go."

She ignored her, trying to remember why she used to love going on family trips.

"Caroline, sweetie, please, we can't be late," Liz called again, though this time a little less patient.

That was another thing that had changed since her mother had married Joe, Liz had become less attentive to Caroline. And Caroline couldn't help but despise Joe because of it.

"You don't want to be the reason we're late, do you?" Liz said, snappishly, and Caroline finally dragged herself from the cabin's bed.

"Now sweetie," Liz said, patronisingly, as the seven of them gathered in the entryway of the rented holiday house. "You have to be a good little girl tonight, okay? It's a very important evening for all of us."

"Yeah, _Caroline_ ," her 13-year-old step-brother, Damon, said snidely. "We don't need you messing anything up for us again, you already ruined our family."

"Quiet, Damon," Giuseppe chided his oldest son.

"What!" Damon said, poutily. "I was just telling her like it was."

"Leave Caroline alone, she's just a baby," Stefan, who was ten, said kindly. Though, his words had the opposite effect to their intention.

"I am _not_ a baby," the headstrong blonde cried, outraged. "I'm only two years younger than you!"

"Come on, Carebear," Bill cajoled. "Can you just keep it together for the next few hours? Then we can be all ready for our activities tomorrow."

"We can do anything you want," Stephen, her father's partner, said gently.

"I can pick _anything_?" Caroline said, her eyes widening at the offer, thinking of all the minions she would be able to control in her make believe land.

"Anything," the four adults chorused.

"No fair!" Damon exclaimed, indignantly. "Why does she get to pick!"

"Because she's the youngest," Giuseppe scolded. Caroline had noticed, over the past year, that Giuseppe's temper was always simmering just below the surface. "And you're the oldest. Now we're all a family, I expect you to step up!"

Damon's jaw set stonily, as he looked defiantly at his father, though he didn't say another word.

"Now, are you all ready to go?" Stephen, ever the peacekeeper, asked brightly.

The three children nodded their heads, Caroline anxiously, Stefan sadly, and Damon grumpily.

"Excellent," Liz said, clapping her hands together and moving towards the door of their cabin. "Let's see if we can make it through this _soiree_ in one piece."

"I doubt that dress will make the night in one piece," Giuseppe added, lowly, looking at his wife with hungry eyes. Bill and Stephen shuddered, Damon frowned, but Stefan and Caroline barely noticed.

The large, and very unconventional family, clambered into the car waiting for them, and were whisked through the Italian streets to a large, impressive looking building, where people were milling about the entrance in beautiful ball gowns and perfectly pressed tuxedos.

Caroline fidgeted nervously. This wasn't her first fancy dinner, and she was pretty sure it wouldn't be her last, but it was the first time she had to go since her family had doubled in size.

She hoped there would be other kids there. She didn't want to have to talk to Stefan and Damon all night.

Much to everyone's relief, the night went smoothly. There was a bit of gossiping about the newly formed Forbes-Salvatore-Stephen family, but other than that, they were left alone.

Liz thought it was something to do with the sheer prolificacy of their company. You didn't want Forbes Ltd as your enemies in the business world.

They were 30 minutes from taking their leave, when Caroline burst into tears and sprinted away from their table. Bill and Stephen rushed to find her, while Liz rolled her eyes at her daughter's dramatics. She had become such a drama queen lately. Could the girl not just calm down for a second?

"What did you do, Damon?" Giuseppe asked his son, dangerously.

"Nothing!" Damon scowled.

"Don't lie, Damon!" Stefan said, crossly to his brother. "He said that Caroline should go and sit at another table, because she wasn't a real part of our family."

Giuseppe was about to blow a gasket when Liz let out a tinkering laugh.

"Come on, Joe, the boy was just cracking a joke, weren't you?" Liz said, kindly patting Damon's arm. "Caroline needs to learn not to talk everything so seriously."

xxx

The tears refused to stop running down her face, as she dashed from the table.

Why did Damon have to be so mean? Why could he never leave her alone?

Her legs took her in the direction of the bathrooms, not wanting to ruin her parents' night. She was out of the ballroom and into a small corridor that lead to the bathroom, when she noticed a cupboard door slightly ajar.

Barging through, she curled her little body up into a ball and let herself cry.

"Umm, excuse me."

Caroline bolted upright, and big blue eyes, found a pair of stormy grey ones.

"I'm sorry," she said, swallowing back the crack in her voice. "My step-brother was being mean."

The boy smiled.

"My step-father is the meanest man in the world."

"Mine too."

They smiled at each other, before he turned back to the sketch book in his hand.

"I'm Caroline," she said, tentatively.

"I'm Nik."

"What are you drawing?"

"A horse."

Nik tilted his book so Caroline could see, and her eyes became the size of dinner plates.

"That's amazing!" she exclaimed, excitedly.

"Thanks," he smiled at her. "My brothers think I'm a girl for liking to draw."

"I think it's cool," Caroline replied.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, until Caroline heard her dad calling out for her.

"Nik, I have to go," she said, sadly, not wanting to leave this kind boy. "But I hope I'll see you around."

"I'm staying at the cabins by the sea," he said.

"Me too!"

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you soon."

With that, Caroline strode happily from the cupboard, no longer so distraught by what Damon had said.

* * *

 **HEY PEOPLE! It's been a while, I'm sorry, but you know, real life has been kicking my ass since like AU Week, and I've barely been able to write a sentence in weeks! But I love you guys, thank you for being so so patient with me! Thank you SOOO MUCH for all the support this story has got, and to Rachel and Ashlee Bree for letting me ramble like a mad house about the storyline. Despite this, however, this story remains unbeta'ed, so please forgive any mistakes (if anyone wants to take the task on... lemme know?).**

 **I realise that this chapter is very slow, with not much Klaroline, but it's really important to the rest of the story to understand Caroline's background and home life. If anyone wants me to write a post on my Tumblr (queencarolinemikaelson) to explain my choices and justify my reasoning, let me know in a review or drop into my ask box with a question :) I have lots of backstory to the whole Giuseppe-Liz-Bill-Stephen thing that I don't think I'm going to be able to fit in the story, which is unfortunate, but ahh well. Such is life. ALSO, for anyone who read WTHH, Giuseppe is going to be 'Joe' in this as well.**

 **OH, please note also, that this story won't be very linear in it's timeline. Hopefully I'll make it clear enough, but like, you know, if you have any trouble, or it's too confusing tellll meee :)**

 **I'll try not to make you so long before the next update, I promise! But there's still two weeks left of semester, so it may be at least that long. THank you so much for reading and I really hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!**


	3. 13 Years Ago: Learning to Push Yourself

From her vantage point, at the very top of the slide, Caroline gazed forlornly down at her step-brothers, as they laughed and shouted inside jokes at one and other.

She wished she could join in.

It was Stefan who first suggested the three of them walk the 500 yards or so to the playground at the end of the street, she had jumped at the chance. Anything to get involved with her new brothers' antics. Liz had encouraged them, as she stroked her new husband's leg, saying that fresh air and time out of the house was always good. When they had reached the place, however, Damon had immediately initiated a game of pirates, which Caroline was not allowed to be a part of.

"There has never been a girl pirate, Caroline," he spat, nastily, while Stefan watched on, helplessly. "And even if there was, she wouldn't be as annoying as you!"

She tried not to cry, she really did, but a few stubborn tears managed to work their way down her cheeks as the two boys scampered off to begin playing. She'd always imagined having brothers and sisters would be wondrous, but now she wasn't so sure.

She climbed the playground soon after, and sat at the top of the slide ever since, watching Damon and Stefan cycle through many exclusive games, but not wanting to walk back to the house by herself.

As she watched, their game moved from the sandpit, to the swing set and each boy yelled their joys as they pushed themselves as high as the sky. There was a third swing, a seat that Caroline longed to fill, but she knew Damon would just laugh – it wasn't as though she could push herself anyway.

She had tried learning, but it was something her mom or dad were always there to help her with. They would smile the special smile they reserved only for her, and would push her high, all the while indulging Caroline in all of her make believe fantasies. Though, those special family times seemed few and far between now.

She slid down the slide, her bare feet landing in the sand, and pattered over to the empty swing, sitting on it, if only to create the illusion of belonging.

"Uh," cried Damon, as Caroline sat down. "Here comes boring-barbie, to ruin all the fun."

As he said it, the boy gracefully jumped from the swing, at its peak, and landed squarely on the ground, smirking at his own brilliance.

"Don't bother getting comfortable, Stefan and I were just leaving."

Damon shot his younger brother a pointed look, and jerked his head, which Stefan obeyed, scampering after his brother who had began to walk towards a crowd of people other children, who had just started a game of soccer.

Caroline felt a hollowness begin to engulf her, and another couple of tears began to trickle down her face.

"Do you need some help?"

Her head whipped around, and levelled her eyes to meet the stormy grey ones of the boy she met a few days earlier at the party.

"Hi," she said, shyly.

"Your brother is mean," he said, taking the swing next to her, and beginning to rock himself back and forward. "You shouldn't listen to him. My mum always says 'water off a duck's back'."

Caroline smiled softly at the boy, not quite understanding what he meant, but being comforted by his words nonetheless.

"Do you want me to teach you how to push yourself?"

She nodded profusely, and watched as he slowed himself to get off his swing. The boy grabbed the sides of her swing and began to push her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "You're supposed to be teaching me!"

"It's always easier to learn something new when you have someone to help push you in the right direction," the boy smiled, although Caroline couldn't see. "Now you're going, just keep going by pushing your legs back, and body forward, then swapping."

He clambered onto his own swing, and demonstrated the movement. It took a few clumsy tries, but soon enough, Caroline too was soaring as high as ever. And she was doing it. All by herself.

The two new friends laughed and chatted away, Caroline learned that Nik – or Klaus – had four brothers, and one sister, and that he always felt a little out of place in his family. Caroline confided in him that she felt similarly, even though her big family was new. She found out that he lived on a big estate a couple of hours from London, and his family went on a family holiday through the summer every year. Caroline beamed telling him that her family did a similar thing, and lived in a big house a few hours from New York.

They stayed on the swings for nearly an hour, sharing their hopes, dreams, and everything they wanted in life. Nik wanted to be a painter and live in a tiny French village - as he said ' _France is my absolute favourite! My grandmother lives in Paris!'_ \- while Caroline shared that she would love to be a kindergarten teacher, or a princess, but she wasn't sure which yet.

The sun had almost completely set, when –

"Caroline!"

"Niklaus!"

The two blondes froze, all their momentum and comfort evaporating as the distant shouts of their mothers' could be heard.

Klaus jumped from the swing, Caroline dismounting carefully.

"Do you want to swing again tomorrow?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, same time. See you then!"

As each child scurried in opposite directions to their family, they both had unwipeable smiles on their faces, and a warm fiery feeling in their chests.

xxx

And that's how it went for the rest of the holiday.

Each of them would partake in their obligatory family events, but would spend every other moment they could together. They explored every nook and cranny of the place they were staying. They were in and out of each others' houses – Caroline adored his siblings Bekah, Henrik and Kol, but wasn't crash hot on Elijah or Finn. They swum in the ocean. They even registered in the same children-only activities.

It wasn't until the last few days did one of Nik and Caroline's meanderings brought their parents in contact with each other.

"Caroline Forbes, I swear to god!"

"Niklaus Mikaelson, where on earth have you got to!"

The two children looked up guiltily from the hole they'd been digging in the sand, into the eyes of their respective parents.

"Didn't you hear us calling you, Caroline?" her mother reprimanded.

"Niklaus, you should pay more attention to your surroundings," Esther, Klaus' mother, scolded.

"And get your head out of the clouds," his father muttered.

Only then, did the adults register the other set of parents.

Liz and Bill.

Esther and Mikael.

The recognition was instant. Each family being as prolific as the other.

There were few families in the business world whose reputation rivalled that of the Forbes'. But if anyone's did, it was the Mikaelson's. The Mikaelsons had a stronghold over Europe and most of Asia, while the Forbes dominated both North and South America. They operated in different sectors, but still knew many details about each others' companies.

Both families wanted to break into the market that the other held the monopoly of, and neither family had ever quite managed to get around the red tape of it all.

Tension seemed to crackle in the air, Caroline and Klaus both oblivious, happily playing again due to their parents' distraction.

"I should have known Niklaus would end up playing with the riffraff," Mikael said, coolly, making Bill scowl, and Liz raise her eyebrow coldly.

"Come now, Mikael," Esther said. "Esther Mikaelson."

The woman held out her hand, which Bill, extending his own, shook, while Liz and Mikael locked in a Mexican-style staring competition.

"It's nice to see Niklaus playing happily, and not purposely pestering his siblings," the Mikaelson matriarch offered.

"Mm," Bill agreed, smiling. "Agreed. I haven't seen Caroline this happy in months."

"Well, they certainly are a pair aren't they," Mikael added, mockingly, still not tearing his death glare from Liz's eyes.

"They certainly are," Liz added, a little absent mindedly, an indescribable glint in her eyes, that no one in the vicinity seemed to catch. "They certainly are."

xxx

As the sun began to set on their last day of vacation, Caroline felt her face fall, her heart clench and she couldn't quite bring herself to enjoy the final activity of the summer.

Since she had met Nik properly, the two of them had become best friends, and she could hardly bear the prospect of never seeing him again.

"We can be pen pals!" he suggested, in an effort to cheer her up. "We can send letters, and emails and… presents for birthdays!"

Caroline smiled, and was about to respond when she was cut off by Mikael's snide voice.

"At it again with the blonde riffraff are you, Niklaus," he slurred, meanly, narrowing his eyes at Klaus. "I don't know why I expect more from a bastard than that."

"Mikael!" Esther scolded, as she looked quickly around, to see if any of the parents milling about had heard.

"I'm off to find a drink," he spat, and stalked away, but not before curious eyes followed his path, and looked questioningly back at Esther.

"He had a rough night," she tittered, lacing her voice with the undeniable Mikaelson charm. "We're supposed to be on holiday, but apparently we didn't choose a good enough manager."

As everything seemed to move on from the incident, Caroline and Klaus remained, both burned by the words Mikael had said about them.

"I'm sorry your dad is so mean to you," Caroline whispered.

Klaus tried to smile, tried to reassure his friend that he was okay, but he couldn't quite manage it.

"I'm sorry he called you riffraff again."

"It's okay."

"Let's not waste our last night together. Shall we go pull that prank on Damon now?"

Caroline's eye lit up with mischief.

"Oh yes," she smirked. "Now where did that tray of prawns go?"

xxx

"Ahh, Mr Mikaelson, I thought I'd find you here," Liz said blithely, as she slid into the booth across from the head of the Mikaelson family. She had seen the rest of the clan down at the picnic, but there had been no sign of Mikael. It hadn't taken much for Liz to figure out he'd either be in his cabin, or in the only bar within walking distance, as a way of getting out of the domestic festivities.

"And what do you want?" he sneered. "Come to tell me I am too hard on that boy? Or that I should have been kinder to your daughter?"

"Nothing like that," Liz smirked, keeping her cool in face of such adversity. "As a matter of fact, I have a proposition for you. An _opportunity_ , if you will."

The man at the table narrowed his eyes. He knew Elizabeth Forbes by reputation, he knew that she was the sharp, savvy brains behind her company, even if Bill was the charismatic face that sealed the deals.

"I'm listening."

xxx

"You did _what_ , Liz?" Bill cried, as his former wife sat across from him in his office.

It was their first day back in The States after their trip away, and Bill couldn't quite believe what Liz had just told him.

" _Think_ about it clearly for a second! We can finally expand into Europe, finally find a foothold in the market over there. With so much less paperwork, and it's a win for them as well! It's not like they operate in the same sectors as us. We won't even lose any money! If anything, we can create it! Streamline our legal and marketing teams, and share those costs with the Mikaelson Corp."

"Liz, you just went ahead and made this arrangement without consulting me, without even considering the effects it will have on…"

"Bill, if we had to do our duty for the company," she snapped, putting up an irritated hand. "Then she sure as hell will do hers."

"I don't want this life for her, Liz. I don't want her to live how we lived. I want better for her."

"Well, Bill," she replied, with a finality in her voice left him with a severe sense of foreboding. "You can either be with me, or against me on this. I won't have you standing in my way. It's the way forward for the company."

Bill put down his glass, and stared into the hard face of his ex-wife.

He loved this woman, more than anyone could possibly understand, given their circumstances. But he couldn't stand idly by while he watched her ruin their daughter's life. They'd already selfishly turned it upside down by getting divorced.

"Don't do this," he breathed. "Please."

Liz gave him a tight lipped smile, left a wad of paper on his desk, before turning on her heel and exiting.

He stared, unseeing, at the papers, knowing they would show the facts and figures of why this merger would be a great idea for the company, but absolutely no reference to why it would be a terrible idea for Caroline.

He knew he could take a stand, leave the company in a show of his utter opposition to this decision, but he also knew, if Caroline were to have a fighting chance, he would need to be there, as someone to be in her corner.

* * *

 **Hello my beautiful people. YES, I an THE terrible. It's been AGES. I am SORRY :( :( I thought things would slow down when uni finished for the semester, but I was wrong (what's new). I started a new job, and all my friends decided LET'S HAVE BIRTHDAYS and so I've been just busy. I hope you understand.**

 **I'm sorry that this chapter was, once again, quite slow and a bit Liz-and-co heavy, rather than being Klaroline-centric, BUT it's necessary. I am also going to go through and make a few slight adjustments to details in earlier chapters, just because, if I don't, there will be a few continuity errors later on down the track. But I will let you know of the changes I make at the end of the next chapter.**

 **NEXT CHAPTER: A time jump, from 13 years ago, to only 8 or 9 years ago (remembering that 'present day' is when Caroline's 21ish and Klaus is 23ish).**

 **THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH FOR READING! I hope you liked this! And, as always, bye for now not forever.**


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